Story #44: Mia Mingus on Dismantling Harm

“Who can we turn to if WE harm? If we have wronged somebody else? If we have hurt somebody else? I think of that often as your accountability pod. Even if it’s just one person.” - Mia Mingus

On October 15th, 2021, Mia Mingus, a prominent anti-violence and disability justice advocate, received the 15th Coles “Call of Service” Award. Recognized for her work with the Atlanta Transformative Justice Collaborative and the Bay Area Transformative Justice Collective, Mingus emphasized the importance of addressing systemic violence rather than relying on punitive measures.

In her speech, Mingus reminded us that we have to interrogate systems and the conditions that have allowed for violence or harm to take place. Sharing her personal journey, she recounted how helping neighbors escape domestic violence inspired her to pursue activism. Mingus called for creative solutions to dismantle oppressive systems, highlighting how we are never too entrenched in broken systems to make change and break free.

Dive into Mingus's message promoting a vision of community healing over punishment by reading more here.